Terrazzo strip



March 1934. v. MORREALE 1,952,135

v TERRAZZO STRIP Filed May 2, 19:51 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 1 i 'l HT T g i .2. A Ti .lmll llllllll.

V INVENTOR V' 'cem Morreale A: RNEY cat Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to terrazzo strips and its general object is to provide a strip having projecting elements of novel and improved forms, desgned to afford a better and more secure inter- 5 locking or bonding engagement of the strip in the plastic terrazzo material in which it is embedded.

The distinctive feature of the inventiomin preferred forms, as here illustrated, consists. in portions which are preferably integral with the main strip and produced by cutting or punching and bending operations, and which extend outward from the main strip in one or more directions, and include portions extending in different directions or in d fferent planes and'usually angularly to each other, to aiford the desired improved interlocking or bonding engagement above referred to. r

The projections or tongues are so arranged a to provide that the upper portion of the strip is entirely free from apertures in order to comply with an item frequently included in floor specificat'ons, the depth of this unapertured portion being substantially equal to the depth of the top or finishing layer of the terrazzo strip. Also in certain preferred forms the projections are so located or arranged that their upper portions are located at the proper levelof the upper surface of the intermediate or sub-layer of the terrazzo structure thus providing a convenient means of gauging the thickness of this layer as by engaging the edge of a leveling board or like implement with the upper faces of such projections after the'strip is put in position, embedded in the plastic sub-layer and with its lower edge resting on the hard concrete base.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufficiently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate representative embodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made, and I contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of a terrazzo strip embodying the invention in one form;

Fig. 2 is a section at 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section at 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section, enlarged, at 44 of Fig. 1, showing the strip in position in a terrazzo floor or like structure;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form;

Fig. 6 shows another modification;

' Fig. '7 is a top plan of Fig. 6 and may be considered also a bottom plan of Fig. 5;

Fig; 8 shows another modification;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 10 is a top plan;

Fig. 11 shows still another modification;

Fig. 12 is a section at 12-12 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a top plan of the same; and

Fig. 14 is a top plan exemplifying the provision of two different forms or types of projecting elemen-ts on a single strip.

These terrazzo strips are embedded in a floor, pavement, wall or the like to produce the well known terrazzo structure. It is sufiicient to describe it as used in a floor. Y The main strip 1, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which may be of brass, bronze or any suitable metal or' alloy, is cut or punched to form tongues 2 which remain connected to the strip at a portion of one end'or edge. The cutting of these tongues or bonding elements leaves apertures 3 in the strip, which are usually and in most cases preferably rectangular, as shown, although they may be of other shapes. The tongue portions 2 may be bent outward at dilferent angles to the main strip.

Preferably, they are disposed at angles of about as shown. Preferably, also, either or both of the upper and lower margins of the tongues are bent angularly to the main or central portion of the tongue. Thus as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, both the upper margin 4 and the lower margin 5 are bent angularly, and specifically as shown are bent at a right angle to the main or central portion 6 of the tongue, forming flanges which are substantially parallel to each other and eX- tend from one face of the central portion 6.

Usually the tongues and apertures are located in the lower portion of the strip with reference to its position when placed in the floor structure as shown in Fig. 4, the projections being then located in a lower or sub-layer '7 and below the top or surfacing layer 8 which is of a depth practically equal to the upper plain or unapertured half 9 of the strip. The plastic material '7 enters and is joined through the apertures and also encloses the tongues or projections 2, which after the plastic material sets or hardens have a very complete, secure and permanent interlocking engagement by reason of the angular disposition of the tongues and the angular arrangement of the portions 4, 5 in relation to the main tongue, whereby any tendency to displacement in any direction is effectively resisted.

The projecting elements may be diffierently arranged on or in relation to the main strip. As

shown in Figs. 1 to 3 they are arranged in adjacent pairs, the tongue connections at 10 to the strip, that is, to certain of the aperture-edges, being in this instance adjacent; that is, the connections of the two tongues of each pair are at sides of the apertures adjacent each other and the tongues extend divergently from each other and also as here shown, all of the tongues project from the same side of the strip.

Bothjof these items of arrangement may vary, as later referred to.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which only the lower marginal portions of the tongues 2a are bent, forming a single flange 11 extending angularly and specifically, as shown at a right angle to each tongue and located in this instance at the lower edge of the tongue.

Fig. 6 shows a similar structure or arrangement except that in this instance the flanges 1111. are located at the upper edges of the tongues.

Fig. 7 represents a top View of Fig. 6 or a bottom view of Fig. 5 and shows that the tongues may project alternately at opposite sides of the strip; thus when the tongues are arrangedv in pairs as shown, those of each pair extend at one side and those of the'next pair at the other side of the strip; although if desired one tongue of a pair may extend in one direction and the other tongue in the other direction. These various tongue arrangements may of. course be adopted with relation to the structure of Fig. 1 or other modified forms as later described.

Figs. 8. 9 and 10 show another -modification difiering from the previous examples-in that the tongues 20 of each pair are so arranged that they extend generally toward each other-their points or lines of connection 10a to the main strip being at sides of the apertures 3 which are remote from each other, this arrangement being referred to for convenience as a convergent connection or arrangement of the tongues of each pair, in dis tinctionfrom the previousarrangement which may be identified as divergent. Thetongues may of course be "more widely spaced lengthwise of the strip, and they may project, as shown in Fig 10 indifierent; directions-or may be all located at one sideof the strip. Figs. 11, l2and 13 show another modificatio in which complete apertures are not cut in the strip, but by cutting or punching operations, 10wermarginal portions are partially severed, leaving in the bottom part of the strip edge openings 15 which are socalled mainly to distinguish from the apertures 3 of other forms. The tongues 16 connected to the main strip along their edges 17 are bent angularly outwardly and preferably at a right angle to the strip, and preferably also have one or both ends 18 bentangularly to the main tongue. Specifically as shown these portions are bent upward at a right angle to the main tongue thus providing in this instance, as in the other examples, tongues having portions located in difierent planes or extending in different directions. Instead of turning the edge portions 18 upward they may in some cases be turned downward, or one end portion may be turned down and the other up. It is considered unnecessary to illustrate these minor variations.

Fig. 14 shows that both of the two principal forms or variations of the tongues may be employed in the same strip; thus the strip as shown has tongue formations 16 of the type of Figs. 11 to 13 and other angularly extending tongue formations 2a of the type shown in Fig. 5. Of course the other types of angularly disposed tongues shown in other figures may be employed in combination with tongues 16 of the type shown in Figs. 11 to 13.

It will now be understood that in certain forms of the invention the tongues are arranged to properly cooperate with a leveling board or similar implement which may be applied in such manner'that its edge rests on the upper edges of-the flanges2a of Fig. 5, or 18 of Fig. 11, or the upper edges of the tongues 2c of Fig. 8, to determine the proper thickness or surface level of the sublayer '7 of the plastic floor structure. It will also beunderstocd that in all of the forms the apertures are located only in the lower portion or lower half of the strip thus leaving the upper portion which may have a depth of one-half inch or more, entirely free from apertures throughout the thickness of the upper or finishing layer 8, thus to comply with a common item of building specifications. 1

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood. that many changes. and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1 l. A terrazzo strip'having a plurality of tongues extending-angularly from the strip and having their upper and lower margins bent angularly in relation to the main tongue.

2. A terrazzo strip having formed therein marginal openings and tongues joined to the strip at inward edges of the openings and bent at an angle to the plane of the strip, the tongues each having two end portions bent at an angle to the main plane of the tongue. 7

.3. A terrazzo strip having a plurality of tongues bent angularly from the strip, each tongue having its upper and lower margins bent angularly in the same direction in relation to the body of the tongue. h

4. A terrazzo strip having formed therein marginal openings and tongues joined to the strip at inward edges or" the openings and bent at an angle to the plane of the strip, each tongue having its two end portions bent at an angle in the same direction to the main plane of the tongue.

VINCENT MORREALE. 

